Week 7 of the 2022-23 NFL season proved that besides maybe four to six teams, almost everyone is vulnerable and at the same time, almost any team is viable on any given Sunday.

The Carolina Panthers were already the worst team in the league before trading Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers. So how in the world did they manhandle Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-3? How did the Washington Commanders beat Aaron Rodgers and the Green Packers after losing Carson Wentz to injury last week?

Besides those shockers, there’s also some teams consistently exceeding expectations. Brian Daboll’s New York Giants’ record swelled to 6-1 after a road win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks continued an unlikely run with a huge 37-23 win over the Chargers.

The league’s two best teams, the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles, had the byes in Week 7, but there was still plenty of movement in the Power Rankings based on the week’s results.

Read on for my Post-Week 7 Power Rankings, and if you’d like to debate or discuss any picks, or want to follow for more weekly NFL content including Picks and Power Rankings, be sure to connect with Sak Sports Blog on Twitter or on Facebook!

Post-Week 7 Power Rankings

The Kansas City Chiefs dropped 30 points on the San Francisco 49ers in the second half to improve to 5-2 on the season. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
  1. Buffalo Bills (5-1) [Last Week: 1]
    • The Buffalo Bills will look to extend their hot start against a struggling Packers team next week on Sunday Night Football.
  2. Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) [Last Week: 2]
    • Steelers, Texans, Commanders, Colts, then Packers, Titans, Giants. The Philadelphia Eagles’ undefeated start could definitely last a few more weeks, but at the end of the day, I’m taking the Bills head-to-head over Philadelphia ten out of ten times, until further notice.
  3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) [Last Week: 3]
    • The Kansas City Chiefs held a narrow 14-13 lead over the 49ers at halftime, but exploded for a 30-point second half in a 44-23 victory. Patrick Mahomes passed for 423 yards and 3 touchdowns in the victory, which now ties the Bills for most wins in the AFC.
  4. New York Giants (6-1) [Last Week: 4]
    • It may have been close, and Daniel Jones sure didn’t get a lot of help from his wide receivers, but the New York Giants edged the Jaguars 23-17 with a 10-0 fourth quarter advantage and a last-minute goal-line stand to improve to 6-1 with their fourth straight win.
  5. Dallas Cowboys (5-2) [Last Week: 7]
    • Dak Prescott didn’t have to do anything too crazy in his return game, as the Dallas Cowboys won 24-6 and picked off Lions quarterback Jared Goff twice to improve to 5-2.
  6. Minnesota Vikings (5-1) [Last Week: 5]
    • The Minnesota Vikings were on bye in Week 7, and slip slightly out of the Top Five as we await a victory over an elite team.
  7. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) [Last Week: 11]
    • Joe Burrow (34-for-42, 481 yards, 3 TD) and Tyler Boyd (8 catches, 155 yards, TD) led the charge for the Cincinnati Bengals in a wire-to-wire 35-17 win over the Falcons. Cincinnati is 4-1 in their last five games and tied for first place in the AFC North.
  8. New York Jets (5-2) [Last Week: 8]
  9. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) [Last Week: 6]
    • I was high on the Baltimore Ravens coming in to the season, and I still am. But even in a 23-20 win over the Browns, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens could have looked better on both sides of the ball. I think Baltimore can still make a deep run this season, but needs to start creating separation: four of their last five games have been decided by one score, with Baltimore having a 2-3 record in those affairs.
  10. Tennessee Titans (4-2) [Last Week: 10]
    • Don’t look now, but Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, and the Tennessee Titans have grinded their way to four straight wins. After defeating Matt Ryan and the Colts for the second time in three games, Tennessee has a firm grip on the AFC South lead.
  11. Seattle Seahawks (4-3) [Last Week: 17]
    • Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks continue to turn heads, this week shocking the Chargers 37-23 on the road. Kenneth Walker III carried the ball 23 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns in Seattle’s third win in four games.
  12. Miami Dolphins (4-3) [Last Week: 23]
    • While the Miami Dolphins didn’t exactly dominate the Steelers on Sunday Night Football, having Tua Tagovailoa (3-1 as a starter now this season) back in the fold is a step in the right direction.
  13. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) [Last Week: 9]
    • The Los Angeles Chargers’ defense put the team in a 17-0 hole against Geno Smith and the Seahawks at home, and kept bleeding all game long en route to a 37-23 loss.
  14. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) [Last Week: 14]
    • The San Francisco 49ers trailed the Chiefs 14-13 at halftime, but couldn’t keep up in the second half against Mahomes in a 44-23 loss. Still, new toy Christian McCaffrey has San Francisco’s prospects looking decent moving forward.
  15. Los Angeles Rams (3-3) [Last Week: 15]
    • The Los Angeles Rams have a solid roster, but sit at a crossroads at 3-3 after a bye week. Will Los Angeles jump back in to the NFC West lead and look like a Super Bowl team again this season, or is this simply not the same team as last year?
  16. Arizona Cardinals (3-4) [Last Week: 20]
  17. Green Bay Packers (3-4) [Last Week: 13]
    • Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers couldn’t engineer a game-winning drive against a backup Taylor Heinickie-led Washington Commanders team. The Packers have lost three straight now, against the Giants, Jets, and Commanders, allowing 25.7 PPG and scoring just 17.7 PPG in that stretch.
SEE ALSO: Week 8 Picks
  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) [Last Week: 12]
    • Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to tumble after a frustrating, disappointing, and confusing 21-3 loss to a Panthers team that had already hit the rebuild button in the seasons early going.
  2. Atlanta Falcons (3-4) [Last Week: 16]
    • Some weeks the Atlanta Falcons come out hot, and some weeks they lay duds. The defense couldn’t stop Joe Burrow and Cincinnati’s talented receiving corps in a 35-17 road loss. But hey, the Falcons are still tied for first place in the NFC South.
  3. New Orleans Saints (2-5) [Last Week: 21]
    • The New Orleans Saints lost their fifth game in six weeks on Thursday Night Football, but the offense (now ranked 5th in the NFL in points scored) continued to churn, scoring 34 on the road but allowing 42 to Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. This Saints team has potential, especially if the wide receiver room can get healthy, but the defense obviously has to play better as well.
  4. Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) [Last Week: 22]
    • Josh Jacobs punished the Texans defense with 143 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries in the Las Vegas Raiders 38-20, just their second win of the season so far. But with a productive Davante Adams and some tough breaks earlier this year, don’t count Derek Carr and the Raiders out just yet.
  5. Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1) [Last Week: 18]
    • Even with Jonathan Taylor back on the field, Matt Ryan’s offense managed just 10 points as the Indianapolis Colts lost to the Titans in a crucial AFC South tilt. Sam Ehlinger will start in Week 8, due to both injury and performance concerns on behalf of Ryan, the expensive offseason acquisition at quarterback.
  6. New England Patriots (3-4) [Last Week: 19]
    • After back-to-back big wins, the New England Patriots came crashing down to Earth with a 33-14 loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football. It might be the Bailey Zappe show after all in New England, as the rookie tossed a touchdown pass and played, well, better than Mac Jones before he got benched.
  7. Cleveland Browns (2-5) [Last Week: 24]
    • Jacoby Brissett, Nick Chubb (91 yards, 1 TD) nearly led a Cleveland Browns upset that would have put them back in the AFC North race, but ultimately fell 23-20 late on the road against the Ravens.
  8. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) [Last Week: 26]
    • The Jacksonville Jaguars held a 4-point fourth quarter lead on the visiting Giants, but couldn’t hold on despite some favorable calls on a final touchdown drive attempt.
  9. Washington Commanders (3-4) [Last Week: 27]
    • Taylor Heinickie and the Washington Commanders stunned the Packers with a 23-21 victory at home, but their body of work over the course of the season hasn’t been good enough for Washington to rank much higher.
  10. Chicago Bears (3-4) [Last Week: 30]
    • After looking downright awful for a few weeks, Justin Fields (14 rush, 82 yards, TD) and the Chicago Bears are just half a game out of a wildcard spot after a 33-14 Monday Night Football win over the Patriots.
  11. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) [Last Week: 25]
    • After falling in a 13-0 hole, the Pittsburgh Steelers did a good job keeping the Dolphins within reach, but ultimately fell 16-10 in after a completely scoreless second half.
  12. Carolina Panthers (2-5) [Last Week: 32]
    • I thought the Carolina Panthers season was left for dead even before they traded Christian McCaffrey. That only makes their post-trade win over the Buccaneers even more shocking. And let me not downplay it by calling it a “win”: it was a blowout.
  13. Denver Broncos (2-5) [Last Week: 28]
    • The Denver Broncos outrageous defense somehow kept the team in the game until the very final minutes despite another putrid offensive performance: this one led by backup quarterback Brett Rypien.
  14. Houston Texans (1-4-1) [Last Week: 31]
    • The Houston Texans led the Raiders 20-17 after three quarters, but lost 38-20 after being outscored 21-0 in the fourth quarter.
  15. Detroit Lions (1-5) [Last Week: 29]
    • Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions have lost their last two games by a combined score of 53-6, and haven’t scored a touchdown since their 48-45 Week 4 loss to the Seahawks.

Previous Rankings

SEE ALSO: Ranking the Top 10 Quarterbacks in the NFL Heading In To 2022

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Header Photo Credits (L-R) : Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports, Fansided/12th Man Rising, NFL.com

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Posted on 0 By Billy Sakmann NFL Posted in NFL, Sak Sports Blog Tagged #, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Billy Sakmann

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